Comparison of plate numbers and column lengths in chromatography and distillation

✍ Scribed by John R. Conder; Nandkishor A. Fruitwala

• Book ID: 103005185
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1981
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 675 KB
• Volume: 36
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(81)80139-x

✦ Synopsis

Aact-It

is sometimes suggested that the number of plates required in chromatography is approximately equal to the square of the number required for distillation. It is shown that this proposition overestimates the number of chromatographic plates by a factor of at least 5 and typically about 30. For a given separation specification, a gas chromatographic column is 3-30 times shorter than the equivalent distillation column. The variation of the two column lengths with relative volatility and desired purity level is shown graphically.